Beast Wars
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: The Maximals come to Third Earth and are distraught over the disrespectful way the Mutants regard life and nature on the planet. Then the Predacons pay a visit, too, and try to make things even more sour. Optimus Primal, Tigatron, Airazor, and Lion-O try to reach a peace agreement with the Mutants and defeat the Predacons. AU story.


**A/N:** I must admit, I've never seen any _Beast Wars_ shows before, although I hope to get the chance in the future, but I have seen bits and pieces of _Transformers_. I'm using an **AU** in this story, since I know only a few of the details of the Maximals' arrival on Earth. I've read and researched the main characters in _Beast Wars_, especially the Maximals, and I'll try my best to keep them as much in character as possible. If I fail, _please do not flame me!_

This fan fiction stems from my strong fascination with animals and nature, by the way.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Beast Wars_, or _ThunderCats_.

* * *

><p>"Snarf! Snarf!" said Snarf as he noticed WilyKit and WilyKat cleaning up some of the messier parts of Cat's Lair, "Why are you kids cleaning up? You don't normally do this kind of work."<p>

"Lion-O received word that some explorers from another star system far away from Third Earth are going to visit this planet," explained WilyKat,

"And they want to visit us next, to see what this planet is like when it comes to ecology and zoology," said WilyKit.

"Any idea who these people are?" Snarf asked them.

"They called themselves the Maximals, Snarf," said Lion-O. "I saw only two of them on the Lair's telescreen, but they're unlike anything I've seen before. It appears they're some sort of living machine-men with the ability to transform into pseudo-organic animals, and they've been fighting a war with similar creatures called the Predacons for a long time."

"Well, I hope that these Maximals are friendly," said Snarf, "Because I'd rather not go through an unpleasant experience on our own turf today! Snarf! Snarf!"

"Don't worry, Snarf!" said WilyKit, "They told Lion-O that they care greatly about nature, and prefer peacemaking to warmongering. They only fight because they have to."

"And that can only mean that they're on the side of good," said Lion-O, "Although I don't know whether the Predacons are evil enemies like Mumm-Ra and the Mutants, or simply misunderstood people who hold their own grudge against the Maximals."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," said WilyKat.

* * *

><p>An exploration ship was flying through space not far away, and at that moment, it was headed toward Third Earth. On board were some of the Maximals. They included such legendary heroes as Optimus Primal, the leader, Tigatron, Rhinox, Cheetor, Rattrap, Airazor, and Botanica. Dinobot, Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, Depth Charge, Nightscream, and SavageNoble had remained behind. Lesser-known Maximals were also on board, like B'Boom, Polar Claw, Wolfang, Jawbreaker, Sonar, Apelinq, and a couple handfuls of Dillos, Mols, and Ravs, the drone Maximals.

Today, the good Animutants were going all together on this particular mission because Third Earth was supposed to be almost as extraordinary as the Earth they originally landed on, and it looked like a place that might need some protection from the forces of evil. Besides, the ThunderCats seemed to be an honorable enough people to meet with, since they lived on this planet and were its present guardians. But as it turned out, something was jamming their signal as they tried to contact the ThunderCats to tell them that they were there.

"Rhinox," said Optimus Primal, "Any luck with that signal?"

"Afraid not, Optimus," said Rhinox, "I can only assume that these ThunderCats are not the only sentient inhabitants of this planet, and certainly not the only ones with technology."

"Lately it seems that almost every world we go to had technology," said Tigatron. "I wish we could find someplace where nature was completely unspoiled."

"I know the feeling, Tigatron," said Airazor sympathetically, "I really _do_ know the feeling."

"Just goes to show that what I've always said is true," said pessimistic Rattrap, "Plagues of enemies and wastelands surround us everywhere, and we're never gonna find a place that's completely peaceful!"

"_So uncivilized_, Rattrap," said Airazor dryly. "Don't you think we've had enough of your smart-aleck mouth for once? I have a date with destiny, and you're in the way." She gave a quick kiss to Tigatron, her long-time "date."

"Let's not talk about that right now, okay, guys?" said Primal, "We have to find our way to this Cat's Lair before we cut through Third Earth's atmosphere."

"I wouldn't mind checking out some of the flowers and trees on this world," said Botanica. "Even from space, the planet looks beautiful."

"Optimus!" said Rhinox, "I think I know what's causing the jamming of the signal. We're flying too close to a fortress that doesn't look like Cat's Lair to me."

"Let me see!" said Primal, stepping forward to look at the viewscreen. "No, you're right, that doesn't look like a cat's head to me, either. In fact, it looks like some sort of ugly monster."

"Oh good!" said Cheetor, "Maybe we'll get to see some action! I hope we can. Optimus?"

"Now, Cheetor," said Primal, "We're here to inspect the planet and talk to the ThunderCats, not to make fools of ourselves fighting enemies we haven't even seen yet. As ugly as that castle looks, maybe its inhabitants are friendly. They may even be able to help us find our way to Cat's Lair."

"I agree with Optimus," said Tigatron, "We need to investigate this first, before we strike. I don't want to be held responsible for the deaths of innocents. Too many innocents have died already!"

"I agree with our leader, too," said Airazor. "I may like adventure, but even just meeting strangers can be an adventure. Let's listen to his recommendation."

"Thanks, guys," said Primal, "Rhinox, land the ship in that clearing on the other side of the moat."

"Right away, Optimus," said Rhinox.

* * *

><p>On the ground, when they came out of their ship, the first things they saw were several small vehicles that must've belonged to the owners of the castle: the NoseDiver, the SkyCutters, and the Flying Machine.<p>

"This is primitive technology if I ever saw it," said Rhinox, "These people must be backwater people, or something."

"I bet I could take one of these for a good joy ride," said Cheetor.

"Don't steal other people's property, Cheetor!" admonished Primal, "That's the wrong thing to do."

"The only thing you'll be getting in a minute is out of here, strangers, yessss?" said an ugly voice from the entrance of the castle.

They all turned to look. Standing in the doorway of Castle Plun-Darr were four humanoid animal men, the Mutants of Plun-Darr, as the Maximals would soon learn. Slithe the Reptilian, Monkian the Simian, Jackalman the Canine, and Vultureman the Avian. All of them were aiming weapons at the Maximals.

"Nyah! Slithe, these people look a lot tougher than we do," said Jackalman, "Maybe we should try negotiating this time."

"Negotiate?! Jackalman, you fool! Mutants never negotiate with anybody, except maybe Mumm-Ra, of course," roared Slithe.

"Caw! Stop talking about it, you guys, and let's just get them!" shouted Vultureman.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo! They don't look so tough!" said Monkian.

"They're going to attack us on sight?" said a disbelieving B'Boom.

"We're all gonna die!" Rattrap said his signature catchphrase.

"Shut up, Rattrap!" said Cheetor, "This isn't the time. I think I'll fight the red jackal."

"I'll help you, Cheetor," said Jawbreaker.

"I think I can fight on even terms with the ape man," said Primal.

"Me too, boss!" said B'Boom.

"I'll clip the wings of that talking vulture," Airazor said eagerly. "Maybe some of the Rav drones can help me out."

"And I think I can handle that reptile," said Rhinox, "with help from the Dillos."

"MAXIMIZE!" shouted the Maximals.

"LET'S KICK SOME BUTT!" said Airazor.

To the amazement of the Mutants, the Maximals suddenly changed shape, taking on their animal forms with astounding fluidity. The beasts prepared themselves for a fight, while Monkian and Jackalman, in particular, wondered if they had bitten off more than they could chew.

"Quick! To the vehicles!" said Slithe. "Hurry up, before these transforming freaks fry us all! Yessss?"

In a minute or so, Slithe was in the NoseDiver, Monkian and Jackalman flew the SkyCutters, and Vultureman was in the pilot's seat of his Flying Machine.

"That vulture can't even fly under his own power!" said Airazor. "He's pathetic."

In her form as a Peregrine Falcon, Airazor flew many times faster than Vultureman's Flying Machine. She swooped down from the heights of the sky, and raked one of its wings with her claws. That quickly, Vultureman was already beaten, as his Machine fell and crashed in the trees.

The Ravs flew down to his crash-site and pecked at him with their beaks. Driven crazy at beaten by his own kind, Vultureman ran squawking back to Castle Plun-Darr.

Cheetor and Jawbreaker, in a rare alliance of Cheetah and Hyena, turned back into their humanoid forms at first, and Cheetor fired his guns at Jackalman's SkyCutter with easy aim. When Jackalman crashed, Jawbreaker turned back into his Hyena form and viciously attacked the Mutant, knocking his club away easily and throwing him against a tree to knock him out.

"This is too easy!" Jawbreaker complained. "Why can't there be more of these guys to fight? And why are they so cowardly, anyway?" He said this because Jackalman was effectively whimpering now.

Monkian tried to keep his distance from Primal and B'Boom after they turned into a silverback Gorilla and a Mandrill. But the Maximals' talents as primates were on par with Monkian's, if not better. B'Boom swung through the trees and leapt onto the bottom of the SkyCutter, and he yanked Monkian off of it by the leg.

The Simian Mutant fell to the ground. And as he started to recover, Optimus Primal set upon him and tossed him into the treetops, where he got tangled in the branches and couldn't get out of for a while.

As for Slithe, Rhinox had no problem with him, either. All he had to do was choose a hiding place and wait for Slithe to come to him, and then he charged the NoseDiver head-on, breaking it to pieces and stunning Slithe. The Dillos surrounded Slithe and nibbled at his slimy skin, forcing him to retreat to Castle Plun-Darr.

"Whoever you guys are, I'll be ready for your little tricks next time, yessss!?" he yelled as a parting shot.

The Maximals turned back into their robotic humanoid forms and watched the Mutants run back to their home.

"It's really sad to see how even humanoid animals won't respect nature, or the people who come to visit it," said Tigatron, who, as they became aware, had taken no part in the battle.

"Tigatron," said Primal reasonably, "They were threatening to eliminate us. They obviously weren't our friends. We had to defend ourselves."

"He's right, Tigatron," said Rhinox, "Not everything can end in pacifistic non-violence."

"But I still wish it could!" said Tigatron excitedly, "It seems everywhere we go, we meet people unworthy of living with nature! And we're unworthy, too, for taking part in their battles and wars."

"War has to exist, when people like the Predacons, or anyone else, would dare to destroy nature and life as we know it," said Rhinox, "whether we intervene violently or not. Think about it that way, Tigatron."

"It'll be fine, my love," said Airazor soothingly, "Let's just get back to the ship for now and try to find Cat's Lair again?"

"There'll be no need for you to search for it now," said a young voice from behind them, "My friends and I can lead you there."

They turned away from Castle Plun-Darr. There was Lion-O, Lord of the ThunderCats, standing there with them. Panthro and the ThunderKittens were with him.

"We can show you the way," said Panthro, "Just follow the ThunderTank that I'm driving here. It can get you there in no time!"

"Yes," said Primal, "Well, perhaps introductions are in order. I'm Optimus Primal, the strong leader of the Maximals. And you are…?"

"Lion-O, Lord of the ThunderCats," said Lion-O, "But I don't think the Mutants' doorstep is a good place for us to linger. We'd better get to Cat's Lair before we do any more talking about things."

"Sounds smart to me, Lion-O," said Primal. Everyone else agreed with him, and they got back into their ship and followed the ThunderTank to Cat's Lair, and to a meeting with some of the finest minds on Third Earth.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I plan on having the Predacons in this story too, just so you know.


End file.
